Transfer Ionization in Collisions with a Fast Highly Charged Ion

Transfer ionization in fast collisions between a bare ion and an atom, in which one of the atomic electrons is captured by the ion whereas another one is emitted, crucially depends on dynamic electron-electron correlations. We show that in collisions with a highly charged ion a strong field of the ion has a very profound effect on the correlated channels of transfer ionization. In particular, this field weakens (strongly suppresses) electron emission into the direction opposite (perpendicular) to the motion of the ion. Instead, electron emission is redirected into those parts of the momentum space which are very weakly populated in fast collisions with low charged ions.

Figure 1

Momentum spectrum [in $\mathrm{b}/(\mathrm{a}.\mathrm{u}.)3$] of electrons emitted in the reactions $22.5\mathrm{MeV}/\mathrm{u}$ ${\mathrm{Ca}}^{20+}+\mathrm{He}(1s^2)\to \sum _{n=1}^2{\mathrm{Ca}}^{19+}(n)+{\mathrm{He}}^{2+}+e^{-}$ $v=30\mathrm{a}.\mathrm{u}.$). The contribution of the correlated channels is multiplied by 2000.

Figure 2

Momentum spectrum [in $\mathrm{b}/(\mathrm{a}.\mathrm{u}.)3$] of electrons emitted via the correlated mechanisms in the reaction 22.5 MeV $p^{+}+\mathrm{He}(1s^2)\to \mathrm{H}(1s)+{\mathrm{He}}^{2+}+e-$.

Figure 3

Same as in Fig. 2 but for the reaction $22.5\mathrm{MeV}/\mathrm{u}$ ${\mathrm{Ne}}^{10+}+\mathrm{He}(1s^2)\to {\mathrm{Ne}}^9+(1s)+{\mathrm{He}}^{2+}+e^{-}$.

Figure 4

The momentum spectra for the reactions $22.5\mathrm{MeV}/\mathrm{u}$ ${\mathrm{Zn}}^{30+}+\mathrm{He}(1s^2)\to \sum _{n=1}^2{\mathrm{Zn}}^{29+}(n)+{\mathrm{He}}^{2+}+e^{-}$. The results in (b), (c) and (d) are divided by 45, 2, and 10, respectively.